City comparison
Cape Coral, FL vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 2.3% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $102,300 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- Both are in FL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Cape Coral, FL to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cape Coral, FL | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,710 in Palm Bay | $102,344 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
76 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cape Coral, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Cape Coral, FL to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Cape Coral → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $62,510 | $63,975 (+5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $131,760 | $134,848 (+6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $75,860 | $77,638 (−2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $80,900 | $82,796 (−0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.